The Yo-Yo Effect
by Jack Mercer 18
Summary: Another story of how Jack became a Mercer. These ones are my favorite. Rated MA for Violence, descriptive physical abuse and sexual abuse. Maybe drug use later on, and other adult themes. NOT FOR CHILDREN.
1. Chapter 1

The Yo-Yo Effect

Chapter 1

"Evelyn Mercer, I'm so glad you came on such short notice." The lady shook her hand with a worried expression on her face.

"Oh of course." Evelyn replied sweetly. "Now, what's this all about?"

The lady shook her head as she looked around at all of the foster kids, that were waiting to be put into homes, as they ran around and played. Everyone was enjoying activity; the children were playing and laughing, the teenagers gathered in a circle and were talking about the opposite sex, everyone seemed in a cherry mood. Well, except for one small boy sitting alone in the corner. He seemed frightened by the noise and his dirty-blonde hair hung low in his face, threatening to cover his distant blue eyes.

Evelyn knew right away when she saw him that that's who Amelia had called her about. "Amelia, it's the boy in the corner, isn't it?"

Amelia nodded and sighed. "I don't mean to dump him on you, but I just didn't know anyone else to call. Honestly Ev, you're my only hope..." She said with desperation flooding her hazel eyes.

Evelyn nodded. "Oh no it's absolutely fine! There hasn't been a single child that I haven't gotten through to." She said seriously. "What's his name?"

"His name is Jackson Miller. Well, that's the name he had at his previous home. You see Ev, he was adopted by his father after the separated mother had put Jack into the system, Nicholas Miller was his name. He adooted Jack about three years ago, and lets just say, I've never seen a boy so mistreated in all my years of working here. He had been in six other foster homes before Nicholas picked him up. I swear to you, Nick seemed like the sweetest guy..." Tears formed in the corners of Amelia's eyes, which just proved to Evelyn, that this HAS to be a serious case.

Evelyn sighed with disbelief, just wondering what was so wrong with people that they would ever mistreat a child. "How old is he?" She asked through a sigh.

Amelia sighherald wiped a tear from her eye and sniffled. "He's nine."

Evelyn stared at the small boy curled up in a corner. She watched as a little girl bounced up to him. Jack scrambled backward in fear. The little girl offered Jack a toy truck, which cause Evelyn to smile. That smile quickly faded as she saw Jack just shake his trembling head and back up farther into the corner. The little girl shrugged and skipped away.

"I see what you mean..." She added to Amelia. "The boy is so traumatized that he cannot even play with other children for fear of what may happen to him. Yes, I'm afraid that I am the only thing that can help him. And don't worry, I'll take good care of him."

"Oh I know you will Evelyn! Thank you so much! Now you don't have to commit to adopting him," she added, "but at least get him out of his shell. His abuse is beyond belief. Come with me and I'll show you his files and you can start the paper work."

Amelia and Evelyn walked away into the back room and closed the door.

XxxxxxxxxxxxxxXxxxxxxxxxX

Jack sat silently in the corner. He knew Amelia was trying to set him up with someone, and he saw the old lady staring at him, but as usual, he pretended not to notice things that he's not suppose to know. You get in less trouble when you pretend you saw nothing...

Jack just stared at the floor and signed. What was the point in Amelia even trying? He was never going to be adopted into a good home. It was pointless to even try. As his dad had told him countless times, he was worthless... Nobody wanted him, nobody ever want him... At least not for a son...For other things.

Flashback; 2 years earlier

Jack sat silently in the dark stone-cold basement. His wrists were growing numb from the hot heating pipe that they had been tied to, hours ago. The flesh was completely gone on the back side and the zip ties around his wrists were making it worse. But Jack was used to this. The fact that his wrists were numbing was a plus side in his opinion; at least he didn't have to feel them... Just when Jack was about to fall asleep, the door at the top of the stairs opened abruptly, sending a blanket of light blinding his pale bruised face. He heard hard footsteps coming down the stairs as his heart sped up with fear.

"Hey there, Jack." Nicholas said standing over him. He glanced at Jack's wrists before pulling out some wire cutters and snipping the zip-ties free from his wrists. Nicholas grabbed the wrist roughly, causing Jack to squeak, and pulled him to his feet so he could examine his handiwork. He looked at the wrist up and down and seemed to be pleased with the result. Jack just stared at him, looking up through his hair line, barely holding eye contact with his father.

Nicholas kneeled down so he was eye level with Jack before whispering sinisterly into his ear. "I have friends over, Jack, and were going to put on a show." He smiled.

Jack shook his head in fear and he whimpered.

"Ssshhhhh. Quieetttt." He whispered with a creepy edge in his voice. "You're going to behave. Because if you don't, I'm going to do much worse to you when they aren't around. Ya hear?" He said threateningly.

Jack just nodded as Nicholas began to drag him painfully up the rickety wooden stair case, even though he was perfectly capable of walking up the stairs himself. Jack squinted at the light as he entered the living room. It literally burned his eyes, he hasn't seen daylight for a long while. Jack didn't even know why day it was.

Once his eyes adjusted to the light, a lump formed in his throat as he saw three large men standing in the living room with beer bottles. Jack whimpered slightly before holding it back. He always got in trouble for making noise. Just then, a teenage-boy, around 17 or 18 walked into the house holding his car keys. Jack sighed.

"Sam, ma'boy!" Nicholas greeted his son in delight.

Sam put his backpack down and put the car keys on the key hook before turning to face his father. "What's going on here?" He asked sternly, causing the other three men to glance at each other nervously. His gaze glanced between Jack, and the men.

"I'm having a party, and our favorite little party toy has been left alone for WAY too long." Nicholas said shaking Jack a little by the back of his neck.

Sam smiled and nodded. "I guess I'm just in time." He added before coming to join the circle.

Nicholas threw Jack to the floor roughly and kneeled over him. The other three men plus Sam gathered around eagerly as they stared at Jack like hungry wolves. Jack could hardly breathe, the fear was too much, it was consuming his mind and sending him into a tumbling pit of despair.

"P-please.." He croaked out. But that only made them laugh. Nicholas punched Jack hard in the jaw.

"I didn't say you could speak! Remember what we talked about. Not a sound!" He growled.

One of the men grabbed Nicholas's arm, and for a brief moment, Jack actually thought the man was going to help him. That SOMEONE would finally help him. But of course, life didn't work that way. The man nearly laughed and glanced at Jack. "C'mon Nick! It's more fun when they whine and plead."

Nicholas reluctantly agreed. "Just this once, kid."

The man who said that, leaned over Jack and unzipped his pants. Jack got a sick taste in his mouth instantly. "No, please d-don't." Jack whimpered. The man pulled his dick free from his jeans and shoved it toward Jack's face. Jack slid himself backwards slightly, only to find his path blocked by Nicholas who grabbed him by the back of his neck. "Remember what I said..."

Jack let a tear run down his dirty little cheek as he looked at the dick, then at the man. "Do it kid. Don't make me do worse to you." He said gleaming sadistically. Jack's eyes widened at what he was implying and before Jack could get a word in, the man shoved his penis hard into his mouth. He cringed instantly at the salty sick flavor. "Now suck." The man ordered, and Jack obeyed, reluctantly sucking and licking every inch of his cock. "My name's Darren." He said as he removed his cock from Jack's mouth after exploding into it. "You remember that name for the next time we meet." Jack didn't even want to think about next time. All he thought about was throwing up. Throwing up everything that had just entered his body, to relieve his fear, to distract him. But he didn't have time for any of that... It was the next guys turn.

"How old is the kid?" One of the men asked as he was currently being pleasured.

"He's seven, Damien. I think." Nick replied and looked to Jack for confirmation. Jack nodded slowly, still preoccupied with Damien, who chuckled as he stared sinisterly at the young boy. "He's a pretty young thing ain't he?" He said grasping Jack by the chin and forcing him to look up at him. "Got pretty eyes." Another tear fell from Jack's face as he released his cum infested chin.

After everyone was finished, Jack felt like vomiting up all his insides. He just wished he could die already... He made a note to remember everyone's name, for he knew that Nicholas would ask him later. There was Damien, Darren, and Adrian. And if course, Sam and Nick, but Jack knew them all too well.

Just then, Jack was jolted out of his thoughts as he was hoisted up by Sam and placed directly back into the middle of the floor. Adrian instantly began fumbling with the button to his jeans. Jack's eyes widened and in a matter of a second, he was shaking all over. "No." He started off softly, hoping they would understand he was too weak for any if this. He was just a child... But they didn't listen. They never did. They just grabbed the waist of his jeans and began to pull them down his hips. "No... N-no! Please don't! I did what you said!" Jack pleaded through sobs. But they only laughed as they pulled the jeans the rest of the way off, exposing him completely. Nick always thought it would be easier, so he never gave Jack a pair of underwear.

Adrian laid down on top of Jack with almost full weight. "Please don't do this to me. Please!" He whimpered. But it was no use, he played with Jack's dick for a good five minutes before he felt it; the sharp pain he was praying would never come as Adrian forcibly entered him, with no intentions of being gentle. Even though he was only seven years old...

End Of Flashback; Present Day


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

"Jack!"

The boy was startled out of his flashback as Amelia shook him roughly. A tear hit the floor as Jack whimpered and slid himself backward, further into the wall.

"Jacky..." She said softly. "I'm not going to hurt you, it's okay... You just didn't answer me when I said your name a few times, I was just concerned sweetie." She looked Jack in the eye, but he retreated his gaze to the floor and just nodded.

It was then that Jack noticed the old lady standing over him and his heart sped up. She smiled warmly at him and her kind blue eyes were bright. "It's okay Jack. My name is Evelyn Mercer, I'm here to help you. You have no need to be afraid, honey."

Jack nodded at her, even though he didn't believe a single word she said.

**Flashback; 2 Years Earlier**

_Jack stumbled around blindly in the blackness. His wrists were still bleeding from the zip-ties that had dug into his flesh. Thankfully, Sam was drunk when he tied Jack's hands so they were just loose enough for Jack to painfully scrape his wrist out of the hold. It had been almost a week since the incident with Nicholas's friends, and luckily for him, he hasn't seen anyone since then. He had been alone. Alone at last. That was the best feeling in the world to him... _

_He blindly searched for the door. He occasionally tripped over something lying on the floor and his knees were bleeding from the glass that scattered the damp ground. Jack sneezed from the cold that he had had for almost a week now. Just then he bumped his knee into something hard and he held back a yelp as tears filled his eyes. Once he recovered from the pain, he reached out to see what the thing was; the staircase! He had been stumbling around for nearly thirty minutes before he found it. His heart sped up with a bundle of hope and fear. He painfully crawled up the steps, his knees scratching the nails that Nicholas had purposefully nailed into the rickety stairs. Tears were streaming his face as he finally reached the top door. He turned the knob slowly and pushed the door open just a crack. _

_There he was. Nicholas lay passed out on the couch with a beer bottle hanging from his hand. Jack gulped and he pushed the door open. It creaked, causing Jack to cringe, but it didn't seem to disturb the drunk man for he just twitched and mumbled in his sleep. Jack sighed of relief and he crawled into the living room. It was dark outside and all the lights were off. But still the small about of light there was from the moon hurt his eyes. He quietly slipped over to the front door and stared at Nicholas, praying silently. 'Please, anyone, just don't let him wake up.' He prayed that over and over again, not even sure who he was praying to. _

_He opened the front door and slipped outside into the cold winter night. He started running, to the best of his ability, and he didn't stop. The adrenaline pumping faster and faster through his veins as he remembered last weeks experience. The abuse. The fear. The pain. The torment. Everything he would experience all over again if he was caught. So he kept running until he almost passed out from exhaustion. _

_He stood there panting in front of the dark local supermarket. A big LED "closed" sign stung his eyes as he looked into the window. He pressed his nose to the glass door and looked longingly at the food inside, just out of his reach. He tried the door. Locked. He looked around longingly at everything. He looked at the news paper clippings that were taped onto the walls. Coupon deals, "have you seen this child?" Billboard, photos of the employees with their dogs. He did a double take and looked on the wall. "Have you seen this child?" Was covered in photos, and one of them was his. _

_"Jack Miller. Missing from Detroit, Michigan on December 3rd, 2010." It said more, but that was all he cared about. 'I'm not missing...?' He thought in confusion. 'I'm right here.' He looked then at today's news paper and found he date stamped in the upper corner. November 8th, 2013. _

_His picture said he's been missing since 2010, but he's been here, with Nicholas, since 2009...? 'What the..?' _

_Just then his thoughts were interrupted by a bright light shining in his face. "Hey! You there!" The voice said loudly. _

_Jack brought up his arm over his eyes as they burned from the flashlight. _

_"I'm a Detroit police officer and you are passed your curfew young man." The cop stopped abruptly when he saw how wounded and pale he was. "Is your name Jack Miller?" He asked with almost hope in his voice. Jack nodded, still a bit confused, but the cop relaxed from that. "It's alright son, you're safe with me, come on, lets go get you fixed up." He said, beckoning Jack over with his hand. Jack just shook his head with fear. He had been abuse by men his entire life, and he wasn't too keen on being taken into a car with one, alone. _

_The officer kneeled in front of Jack and held up his hands in surrender, shining the flashlight away from his face. "It's okay. You're safe now. I promise." He said quietly. Jack just stared at him before slowly advancing toward him. "That's it." He said encouragingly. Jack took the man's hand gently and whispered softly. "I'm trusting you." _

_"You have every reason to trust me." The cop reassured as he helped Jack over to the car. The boy was freezing in his short sleeves, and it was painfully obvious he'd been malnourished and neglected. "I'm going to take you to the hospital. You need medical attention." _

_Jack nodded nervously and sat silently in the passenger seat of the cruiser. It was then that Jack relaxed, and allowed himself to fall into unconsciousness. _

_He woke later at the sound of talking women and he looked to see two nurses siting next to his bed, putting iodine onto one of his knee scrapes. Instantly it began to burn and Jack scrambled backward in fear. _

_"Hey Jack it's okay!" One if the nurses urged. "I'm helping you!" Jack just whimpered. "Hey, sweetie, my name is Elizabeth. I'm not going to harm you. You see this?" She held up the bottle. "This is iodine. It's supposed to help you with scrapes." She said calmly. "See?" She took another cotton ball and dipped it in the iodine and dabbed it onto a small cut on her finger. "It's okay. It helps." She said assuring and the other nurse nodded encouragingly. Jack nodded slowly and allowed them to proceed. It was indeed painful and a longer process then he would have liked, but it was soon over and Jack sighed heavily as he lay back onto the pillow. _

_"Excuse me ladies." The cop said standing in the doorway. "May I speak to you out in the hall?" _

_They both nodded and stood up. Elizabeth looked at Jack, assuring him with her eyes that she'd be back, and they both exited the room and began murmuring quietly outside the door. _

_"-name is Jack Miller." Jack caught snippets of the conversation. _

_"-missing since 2010... -think he... -abducted." _

_A few gasps could be heard as the nurses poked their head back in to look at Jack. "Poor thing." The other nurse murmured. _

_The cop nodded as they came back into the room. The cop murmured something Jack didn't catch and walked out if the room. _

_"It's okay Jack, Sweetie." Elizabeth said as the other nurse left the room with the cop. Jack didn't say a word. As usual. _

_The cop poke his head in and nodded to the nurse and disappeared once more. _

_Jack was exhausted, mentally and physically. He tried his best to stay awake, just for fear of the dreams that threatened to haunt his mind. But he couldn't stay awake any longer. He glanced around the hospital room as it grew fuzzy, with his eye lids slowly closing, he gave in and fell asleep. _

_"Jack!" A familiar voice snapped him awake. He looked over and his eyes widened as he saw Nicholas standing in the doorway looking extremely worried, which was a sight he'd never seen before. "Jack! Thank god you're okay!" He said smiling as he approached Jack. He saw the other nurses standing behind Nick, the cop too, and they all had tears in their eyes. Jack was about to look to them for help when he got a quick death glare from Nick that the rest of the group didn't seem to notice. Jack had never been so confused in his life. _

_Just then, a tear shed from Nicholas's eye as he hugged Jack lightly. "I can't believe they found you! I thought I'd never see you again!" He said as he kissed Jack on the head. He was going to be sick. Nick was acting like he actually loved him, that was the sickest thing he's ever seen. Nick smiled at Jack and ruffled his hair, causing Jack to flinch. Nick stood and looked at the cop with tears streaming his face. "Thank you for finding my son." He said sincerely. "Where was he?" _

_The cop quickly explained how he had found Jack bleeding in front of the super store. "He looked pretty scared. I don't know how he managed to escape from his kidnappers, but by the looks of it, he's lucky to be alive." _

_'Kidnappers?' Jack thought with rage. 'Everyone thought I was kidnapped?!' The confusion grew as he stared at everyone. _

_"Can I take him home now?" Nicholas asked pleadingly as he looked at the nurses. _

_Elizabeth nodded. "Yes you_

_may. But here." She said handing Nicholas some bandages and iodine. "Do you have any hydrogen peroxide in your home?" _

_"Of course." Nicholas said as he gently took the bandages from Elizabeth. _

_She smiled. "His bandages need to be replaced twice a day. Use the iodine right away in the morning, and the peroxide right before he goes to sleep. And be VERY careful with his stitches. Okay?" She said motioning to the long gash Jack had that ran horizontally across the right side of his face, just under his eye. _

_Nicholas nodded, pretending to take it all in. Nick turned and smiled at Jack. "Let's go home kiddo." He said with a warning glare. Out of fear, Jack managed a small smile as Nick led him out of the hospital. He helped Jack gently into the passenger seat and buckled him in. He then turned and smiled up at the people that were crowded around the window, watching them leave. Nick waved at them and drove off. _

_Once they got into the house, Nick instantly threw the bandages and supplies into the trash can. His kind expression was long gone and he looked at Jack with pure rage. _

_Jack started to shake as he immediately averted his eyes to the floor._

_"What the HELL was that?!" Nicholas shouted, causing Jack to flinch and instinctively take a step backward. Nicholas took a step toward Jack, shaking with rage. "It's a good thing I filed that missing persons report or else they would've found out how much fun we have!" He added the last couple words with fake sarcasm. _

_"I-I'm s-sorry." Jack stammered as he took another step back. His stomach was tied into knots as he struggled to breathe. He felt like he was going to throw up even though Nicholas hadn't even touched him yet. _

_"No matter. I know you aren't actually sorry." He said in the baby-talk voice. _

_Jacky's eyes widened and he shook his head. "Yes I am!" He protested out of fear. His stomach started doing flip-flops when Nicholas took another step towards him. Jack felt the cold feel of the wall right behind him. He glanced to the left, and then to the right as he dreadfully realized Nick had backed him into a corner. He hated corners. He started to hyperventilate. _

_"What's the matter Jack?" He said in a low voice. "You broke the rules. And you need to be punished." And with that, Nicholas beat and raped Jack until unconsciousness. With absolutely NO mercy... _

**End of Flashback; Present Day. **


	3. Chapter 3

**Alright sorry this one is kind of short, but it's a lighter chapter with ** **a little peace for Jacky, which he desperately needed. I'm so excited, I posted the story less than two days ago and I already have a follower AND a review! Thanks! Keep up the reading and I'll keep the writing! :)**

**Chapter 3**

Jack sighed as he sat in the passenger seat of Evelyn's car. He didn't move, he never spoke, he just rode in silence and enjoyed the peace that he so rarely got, and thought about what it might be like to go home with this lady. He was hoping she wasn't capable in hurting him in her advanced age, but Jack had been wrong before so he figured it was best he didn't try anything.

"- so I'm going to take you home just for a little while so I can get you fed and taken care of before I find you another-"

Jack hadn't been listening to a word she said as she had been rambling on for the past hour and a half about how good things were going to be for him at her house. But after the first few sentences he drowned her out with his mind once he realized he didn't believe a word she said.

"Jack? Are you listening to me?" Evelyn snapped Jack out of his thoughts with that mere question. Jack immediately started to shake and he scooted himself against the car door.

"I-I'm sorry." He stuttered in fear. He was used to being hit whenever he was caught not listening so out of instinct, Jack flinched and turned his face downward to avoid the imaginary blow.

"Jack." Evelyn said quickly. "I'm not going to hit you honey." She kept looking at him, then back at the road with extreme concern swimming through her blue eyes. "Were you just thinking and you maybe zoned out?" She suggested.

Jack nodded and a tear rolled down his cheek.

Evelyn sighed and smiled. "Jack honey, I am never going to hit you. Especially for zoning out. Not ever. As long as you are with me, no one will hurt you, I promise." She said warmly.

Jack nodded and adjusted himself in his seat, still rigid with caution. He couldn't tell if what Evelyn was telling him was true, he wanted to believe it, but he wasn't sure he could.

"We're almost there, sweetie."

**XxxxxxxxxxxxxXxxxxxxxxxxxX**

Jack stood uncomfortably next to Evelyn as she put her house key into the lock and unlocked it slowly. As soon as it clicked she pushed the door open and pulled the keys back out. "Come along Jack." She said encouragingly. "You'll be safe here."

She walked inside and put her keys on a hook that was on the wall next to the door.

Jack slowly followed her and looked around skeptically, looking for any sign of trouble. Just then he saw an empty beer bottle on an end table in the living room. His heartbeat quickened. He had never tasted beer, but in his experience, people who drank were NOT, under any circumstances, nice people. Bad things always happened to him when someone got drunk, and this lone beer bottle sent a warning siren screaming through his brain. He immediately started to look around at all if his escape options, a solid habit that he had been doing for as long as he could remember.

"Jack?"

Jack's head snapped up as he heard his name. Evelyn was staring at him with concern.

"Are you alright sweetie?"

Jack just nodded and stared at the beer bottle again.

Evelyn followed his gaze and recollection softened her face. "Oh that's just Bobby's. Don't worry, he won't hurt you either."

Jack stared at her wide eyed. _There are men here?_ He thought in horror as the vibrating started once again through his body. He hated men! He hated, hated, hated, hated them! Jack had never gotten more than a slap from a women, which was normal for him, but every abuse that he had gotten from a man was a horrifying torture that always left him with nightmares.

As if on cue, a short muscular teenage boy came tumbling down the steps. "Fuck you Angel!" He shouted up the stairs as he stood up from the landing. "Oh hey ma, sorry about my language, where did you-" he stopped abruptly as his eyes landed on the small boy in the center of the room.

Jack's heart started thumping so fast he thought it might flat-line. Instinctively out of fear he took a step backward and whimpered.

Evelyn stepped in between the boy and Jack. "Bobby, go upstairs please, I will talk with you later. Your presence isn't the best idea at the moment." She said and nodded toward Jack.

It hit Bobby what she meant and he nodded giving Jack a genuinely friendly smile as he disappeared up the stair case.

Evelyn turned her attention to Jack who had his trembling body pressed tight against the wall. She kneeled down in front of him so she could look him in the eye. "Jack." She spoked calmly and quietly. "You're safe. Bobby would never hurt you. He's a good boy. He's my son and I promise you, that he will not harm you. Neither will the other two."

_Three boys? _Jack thought with disparity as he concluded in his mind that he was, in fact, doomed. But he merely nodded to Evelyn and looked at the floor.

Even though Jack was pretty sure she wasn't going to hurt him, he still had trouble holding eye contact. He always had trouble looking someone in the eye. So much so that if there was a small bug on the floor Jack would notice it because the floor is the thing he studied the most. That, and body language. There were many nights in his previous homes where he would be completely ignored simply because he decided not to say anything, not to make a sound, not even to move. Rarely this luckiness happened, but when it did, his invisibility was the feeling in the world.

"Are you hungry Jack?" She asked softly.

Jack lied and shook his head and kept staring at the floor.

Evelyn sighed, disappointed, but quickly recovered with a smile and a quick nod. "Would you like to get some sleep then? Don't worry, you will be all alone and no one will disturb you." She said reassuringly.

Jack nodded slightly.

Evelyn led Jack upstairs and brought him to a bedroom with dark blue walls, a window that led to the roof, a nightstand, a bed... He actually had his own bed. Evelyn smiled at him when she saw his face light up, ever so slightly. "Go ahead sweetheart. You can sleep in the bed. It's yours to use now." She said warmly.

Jack looked at her, hesitant and stared at her eyes as he searched for even the smallest hint of a lie. When he found none, he slowly and cautiously made his way over to the bed and extremely gently, sat down. It was so soft... The feeling was amazing.

"I'll leave you alone then. You holler if you need anything." She said quietly before closing the door to leave him with his thoughts.

He carefully laid on the bed and pulled the blankets up to his chin. It was so warm under them. He wasn't used to this, it was a bit overwhelming. But his mind soon calmed down and he slowly drifted off to a hard sleep. No dreams to haunt him, no fears, just warmth and comfort as he slept undisturbed turned for hours. And honestly, it was the best sleep he had ever had.


	4. Chapter 4

** Sorry I didn't update yesterday! I had a lot of homework. I'll TRY to update roughly everyday. I got more reviews and I'm so happy you guys like this so far! Keep reading on and PLEASE PLEASE review! c: **

**Chapter 4**

Jack woke up from his slumber almost just as tired as when he went to sleep. He glanced at the digital clock on the nightstand and the neon red letters stung his eyes. 7:45 am. If it was morning, why was it still dark in the room? He sat up painfully, still stiff from his injuries, and looked over at the window to see that someone had put up a blanket in front of it to block the sun. 'I guess that was nice of them.' He thought, still skeptical if their kindness. He slid himself out of bed and and walked into the hall. He stood in front of the stair case, looking down as he could see the sunlight coming from the downstairs doorway. He wanted to go downstairs, but every instinct of his body told him that that lwas a bad idea.

He swallowed and slowly began to climb down the steps. He reached the bottom and peered his head around the corner, staring out into the living room, he located every exit and looked for any sign of danger. Seeing no problems, he slid himself against the wall and quietly walked into the entry-way.

He listened and hearing no voices, proceeded to the kitchen with caution. He saw a piece of paper sitting on the kitchen counter next to some fruit and cookies. Confused, he walked over to it and picked it up, enjoying the sweet aroma of the food around him. His stomach growled and he read through each line carefully, as he was not a good reader.

_Jack, I went to work and my boys, Jerry and Angel, went to school. It's just you and Bobby at the house, but do NOT worry. I promise you he will NOT hurt you. Get something to eat, get some rest and just relax. I will be home around 3:30._

_ ~Evelyn_

Jack's heart sped up when he learned it was going to be just him and the big kid. But maybe Bobby won't be home. Maybe he left? Maybe he will stay upstairs all day to give Jack privacy? Nope. Bobby had a habit of entering on a cue, for at that very moment, he descended down the stairs and entered the kitchen.

Jack's heart sped up a he saw the older boy. There were so many red flags flying in his head.

#1. Bobby was older and a male.

#2. They were alone for hours.

#3. Jack had been caught red-handed in the kitchen where all the food was.

#4. He was scared senseless so everything just magnified.

#5.** He was doomed...**

"Woah there, Jack." Bobby said taking a step _backward_ from him. "I didn't mean to startle you. I didn't think you were up." Bobby said innocently.

Jack just stood there rigid, trembling.

"Jack..." Bobby said calmly. "I'm not going to hurt you."

Jack didn't react. He just continued to stare at Bobby with wide-eyed fear.

"I swear I won't hurt you. See?" Bobby said and slowly sank down to the floor, sitting against the wall with crossed legs. He held his hands up and looked around him to show Jack that he wasn't going anywhere. "I'll sit here all day if it makes you feel better. I won't move."

Jack stared at Bobby and searched his face for lies, detecting none. Jack stood there for a moment before he too, sank slowly to the floor, opposite side of the room, not taking a single eye off Bobby.

Bobby stared back, a bit confused before shrugging and shifted to make himself more comfortable. "Alright. We'll both just sit then. We could talk? You up for talking little guy?"

Jack made no response, he just blinked at him.

Bobby smiled. "Okay, I won't make you talk, but how about this; I ask you a question, and you nod yes, or shake your head no depending on your answer, and you shrug if you truly don't know the answer. Does that work?"

Jack slowly nodded.

Bobby smiled again. "See? What a good start! Okay, so as you know my name is Bobby Mercer, I am 19 years old and I live here with my brothers and my Ma. Do you have any siblings Jack?"

Jack shook his head.

"Okay, so you're an only child. Well a little bit about me, is that family is the most important thing in the world to me. I'll do anything to protect them, and _none_ of us are related by blood..." Bobby said, implying that Jack could possibly become a part of that. "We all started off as foster kids, just like you. And we've all been through hell, just like you. Yeah, it may not have been as bad as you had it, but we can relate. Now, the first step to family is trust. Can I trust you Jack?"

Jack nodded slightly. His trembling had stopped and he was beginning to calm down. He had no clue why, but talking calmly where he wasn't forced to do anything, was relaxing him. He was _always_ forced to do something, so he liked having control for once.

"Then can you trust me? Go ahead and answer honestly, you won't be punished for saying no. I won't touch you."

Jack hesitated, then slowly shook his head.

"Now that's okay. I don't expect you to trust me yet. But this civilized conversation right here, guess what? It's a start." Bobby smiled, happy he was actually having a decent conversation with the boy without the fear that he was going to die of fright.

Jack nodded and the smallest hint of a smile tugged at his lips. But it didn't quite form. Not yet.

A few hours later Evelyn came home. She removed her coat and put her purse down in the kitchen. When he entered the living room she was surprised to see Jack and Bobby were watching TV. They were sitting on opposite ends of the couch, but the important thing was, Jack didn't look afraid. She didn't say a word and just left them there to watch TV for a few more hours, enjoying the peace.

Angel and Jerry had gotten home but they were upstairs. Jerry had convinced Angel to allow him to help him study for a long exam coming up. It was a small tiff at first, but Angel reluctantly agreed on the terms that they would pick the next movie they would see. The Mercer's normally went to a movie every month. Now how they could afford it was a good question. Lets just say it wasn't always their money.

Evelyn walked over to Bobby and Jack and smiled. "Jacky," she said gently, "why don't you go upstairs and wash your hands for dinner. We will be eating any moment."

Jack nodded and went quietly upstairs.

Evelyn turned immediately to Bobby who had instantly turned off the TV. "What happened?"

Bobby shrugged. "I showed him I wouldn't hurt him and, we talked."

"He said something?"

"Well no," he admitted, "I just asked him questions and he shook his head depending on what answer it was. It was kind of nice, actually."

Evelyn smiled warmly. "I'm glad you had fun. Do you like him?"

Bobby smiled and looked toward the stair case where Jack had disappeared. "Actually Ma, I do. I really really do."


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

Jack sat awake in the window sill and stared out the window. He couldn't sleep, too many dreams haunted him. It was around 2:30 in the morning, he was guessing. He could go and check the clock for exact time, but he was too tired and just too lazy to move. He looked at the star lit sky and sighed.

**Flashback; 3 years earlier. **

_Jack sat huddled against the brick alley wall as he kept all his muscles bunched, trying to save body heat. His breath came out in white puffs as he looked at the sky. It was clear that night; the stars shone dimly as they were being drowned out by the brightness of the full moon above him. 'At least it's not snowing.' He thought as he recalled the previous night where a blizzard had forced him to retreat into the garage of some poor expecting sap who hadn't taken the groceries out of their car yet after a quick store-run. He had stayed in the garage for a few hours, snacking away on the food. It tasted so good. He could still remember the sweet flavor of the various fruits as if it was still right in front of_ him.

_He shivered and cuddled closer to his body. _

_"What are you doing?" A small voice made Jack jumped as he looked at a little girl about his age who had seemed to appear in front of him. She has black hair tucked away in a blue winter hat and she was staring down at him with big brown eyes. _

_"What's your name?" He asked softly. _

_Her little face brightened. "I'm Cassie!" She said enthusiastically. "What ya doin?" She asked again. _

_Jack just shrugged as he stared at his feet. _

_"It's too cold for you to be out here." She said logically. _

_Jack looked back at her skeptically. "You're out here aren't you? Why ARE you out here?"_

_"Well," she said in a normal matter-of-fact tone, "my parents are out of town and they left me with my brother." _

_"What's wrong with that?" He asked. _

_"Nothing." She replied. "He just doesn't care if I go out, so I left to go play in the snow. I saw a kitten and chased it up the street and then I found you!" She said giggling. He giggles soon stopped and she sat in the snow next to him. "What happened to your face?" She asked when she saw a couple scars tracing his jaw line. _

_Jack shifted and shrugged. "I don't know." He lied. _

_Cassie glared at him. "Yes you do, silly! But I understand if you don't want to tell me. What's your name?" _

_"Jack." _

_"Well, Jack, it's nice to meet you!" She giggled again. _

_Just then a male voice was heard in the distance, calling a name. _

_Cassie perked up and looked in the direction it was coming from. "That's my brother. I have to go. But here, she pulled out have a pencil and a gum wrapper and began to write something down. "You are obviously lying to me about somethin, but here's my house number if you ever need anything. My room is the second window to the left of the garage. Come in through the window." And with that, she stood up and ran off into the night, leaving Jack alone with the gum wrapper. _

_He had never had a thing for girls, but he liked this one. She seemed nice. He huddled himself closer into the corner and clutched the gum wrapper in his cold fingers. He was NOT going to lose this. He stared with a determined expression on his face and waited for the daylight to return the warmth it had stolen from him_.

**End Of Flashback; Present Day**

Jack sighed and looked away from the sky and leaned his head against the wall.

Just then, a person appeared into the window and their hand pressed loudly to the window. Jack scrambled backward and hit the floor with a loud _THUD_. He looked up in terror as his father was standing over him, smiling menacingly. _How did he get in here?_ Jack thought in horror.

_"Hello, Jack. It's been a long time." _He said foully as he spat at him. He grabbed Jack by the shirt and dragged him to the corner.

"JACK!"

"N-NO!" He screamed and started to thrash and kick, trying to get away. "P-please don't touch me." He whimpered.

"JACK!"

Just then, Jack was jolted to reality as he realized it was Jerry yelling his name with a look of panic on his face.

He jerked away from Jerry and looked at the window to find it sealed and no one else in the room. The sun shone through the curtains and Jack looked back at Jerry.

"You, you just," Jerry started, "I think you were hallucinating." He said quietly.

Jack stared at Jerry with fear on his face and he started to hyperventilate. "B-back up." Jack stammered, hating the trapped feel. He hated corners...

"No, I just want to make sure your okay." Jerry said taking a step closer to him.

Jack scrambled further into the corner, whimpering.

Just then, Jerry was literally lifted and moved to the side and revealed Bobby. "Move, dumbass! Can't you see he's terrified of you?"

Jerry stood there and looked at Jack's facial expression and realization hit him. He was so concerned and determined to make sure he was okay, that he hadn't notice how afraid he looked.

"Jerry it's best if you weren't in here right now." Bobby said as he glanced at the terrified Jack.

"B-but-"

"Seriously, Jerry. I'll talk to you later but you need to _GO_." Bobby said more sternly getting more and more annoyed with his hesitance.

Jerry's shoulders dropped. "Sorry Jack." He said as he left the room and shut the door.

Jack looked up and whimpered at Bobby, shoving himself even farther into the corner. If he pressed himself any further, Bobby was sure he was going to fall through the wall.

"Jack. Hey, buddy. It's okay." Bobby said gently. He backed up and sat on the other side of the room, widening the distance between them by about right feet. "I'm not going to hurt you. Jerry didn't mean to scare you. He was wanted to help. Just like I'm doing. Now I won't move if you don't want me to." He said seriously. "I'll sit right here until your ready for me to move."

Jack sat huddled in the corner, panting. His little chest heaved up and down as he tried to regain his breath.

"Is this okay?" Bobby said as he slowly moved forward two feet and stopped.

Jack's heart sped up and his eyes widened. He stared at Bobby and then at the distance between them. He took a deep breath and nodded slowly.

"Good. See Jack? This is a form of trust." He stated calmly. He scooted forward two more feet, leaving a gap of only four feet between them. "How about this?"

Jack slowly nodded again.

Bobby moved forward again another two feet. "Can I go further?"

Jack hesitated and shook his head.

Bobby shrugged. "Okay. I'll stay right here then. There's two feet between us now, which is a lot more than you would have allowed me before. It's okay Jack. See? You're fine."

Jack slowly nodded and looked at Bobby gratefully.

"You want some breakfast..?" Bobby asked quietly.

Jack shrugged. Then hesitated and nodded, making Bobby smile. He slowly stood up and waited for Bobby, clearly wanting him to go first down to breakfast, which he did so, walking slow enough for Jack to keep up.

Once they got down to the breakfast table, Evelyn was standing there waiting for them. She smiled as they sat down and she filled Jack and Bobby's plates full of scrambled eggs and various fruit. Bobby thanks Evelyn for the food and Jack, feeling guilty for not saying it, gave her a grateful but shy look as he began eating.

Angel and Jerry soon descended from the staircase, muttering about sports, sat down at the table, and Jerry looked at Jack guiltily.

"Sorry Jack... I didn't mean to scare you." Jerry said glumly.

Evelyn smiled when Jack accepted the apology with a small nod. Jack was starting to warm up to the family after the week he'd spent there, but it was painfully obvious that he was still horribly skittish and shy, seeing to the fact that he has not said a single word the entire week. But that was completely okay with the Mercer's. They were totally on board for Jack taking his time. They didn't want to scare him away after all.

"So, Jack," Evelyn started, "you will be starting school in a week from Monday. I've already signed you up and I'll be going in this afternoon to enroll you in classes. Don't worry, dear, school is perfectly safe."

Bobby had to hold in a laugh when Evelyn said that. School, safe? When was school ever safe? Kids sneak drugs, alcohol, and weapons. Not the mention the bullying and constant fights that go daily. School was in fact, NOT safe. But like a good little boy, Bobby knew when to keep his mouth shut. Well, most of the time.

Jack stared at the table and nodded, avoiding her gaze as if his rational fear of school, was being reflected through her strong eyes.

Evelyn sighed. "Well! Now that we have that out of the way, boys," she said glancing at Jerry , Angel, and Bobby, "I want you three to go shovel the driveway. It snowed all night last night and I don't think I'll be able to get my car out of the driveway if its not clear."

"Aww, ma!" Angel complained. "Do we have to?"

"Yes you have to."

"But it's Saturday!" He complained again with a pouty look on his face.

"No arguing, Angel. Jerry," she looked at Jerry who jerked out of a thought, "I want you to make sure Bobby and Jerry actually help you. Okay?"

Jerry nodded and walked over to get his snow stuff on.

Evelyn looked at Bobby. "Shovel please?" She had noticed his hesitant look.

Bobby sighed and nodded. "Alright."

The boys left to shovel and Evelyn started to do the dishes, leaving Jack alone to his thoughts. _Great. I'm gonna get killed! _He thought miserably_. The kids will HATE me! What if I fail everything? What if I have to repeat a grade? What if they call me stupid...?_

These are all things kids wonder when starting a new school for the first time. What if they aren't liked? What if they are made fun of? Jack was especially afraid of getting bullied by someone bigger than him. Not that it didn't happen all the time with his previous foster homes, but he never really had it that bad when it came to kids his age.

_Well, maybe they WILL like me. I'm their age after all._ He decided. he had no idea what was coming to him, when Monday rolled around.

**Thanks for reading! PLEASE PLEASE REVIEW! :) **


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

"Bye boys! Be good!" Evelyn shouted from the street corner as she waved goodbye to her two youngest boys and Jack as they watched helplessly from the school bus window. The bus pulled away and drove down the street, covering the single image of Evelyn in the gray cloud that emitted from the exhaust pipe.

Jack sat alone in his seat and stared at the ground; Jerry and Angel were off with there friends, leaving Jack alone to himself. First day back at school and he was miserable before he had even gotten to the building.

The bus was filled with the loud chatter of the elementary and high school students as they laughed and yelled at each other from opposite ends of the bus. The noise alone was making his head pound, not to mention his heart as well. He hated loud noises and he hated crowds, he was in an environment where there were both discomforts present.

"Jack?"

Hearing his name caused him to jump and he shied to the right, pressing himself against the cold metal wall of the bus as he looked up to see who had talked to him. It was her. The girl from the alley. From his flashback. She was the girl with the blue hat, and the black hair, who gave him the gum wrapper... He stared at her and reached into his pocket, feeling the crumpled wrapper that was still in his pocket. He had kept the wrapper, and every time he switched pants, which wasn't very often, he had gotten into the habit of switching the gum wrapper too.

He had no trouble remembering her name. He had made a strong note never to forget. Sometimes he would whisper her name to himself at night, just to make sure he didn't forget because with all the concussions he would get, he tended to forget small things like a name, but a face, he never forgot.

"Cassie?" He said quietly, just barely enough for her to hear.

She giggled. "You gotta speak up dude!" She didn't even ask if she could sit with him. She just scooted on passed him and sat next to the window. "You never stopped by my house!" She stuck her lower lip out in a pouting formation, then giggled again.

Jack shrugged. He didn't want I admit to her that he had chickened out every time he thought about it. It wasn't because he had a crush on her, because he didn't. It was because he was afraid at the fact that she lived alone with her older brother, and Jack didn't like men.

"Well! I hope we sit together!" She said smiling.

They arrived at school after a short trip early enough for Jack to get a tour. Cassie went with him on his tour, claiming that Jack didn't want to go alone and that Evelyn had given her permission to accompany them, giving her an excuse to skip the first 45 minutes of class, which Jack didn't have a problem with.

It was the principle who showed them around, Mrs. Jensen; She was a stout women in her forties who looked like she liked school a bit too much. Her dress had school busses and pencils all over it and she was wearing golden school buildings for earrings. Her short brown hair was styled in a bob and her small brown eyes crunched when she smiled. She never seemed to stop smiling. All-in-all, she was just too happy all the time.

"And this is the third grade class room; where Cassie will be joining you for class, I hope." She gave Cassie a warning glance, but Cassie just smiled and nodded.

"Yep! Jack and I are gonna be pals. Right Jack?" She said excitedly.

Jack just nodded with a slight smile. Sometimes he felt really rude for never speaking, but he had learned in the past, it's just better to keep your mouth shut.

"Did I show you the cafeteria?" Mrs. Jensen asked.

Jack was about to node when Cassie jumped in eagerly.

"Nope! You didn't. But that's okay! You can show us now." She said smiling.

Jack just stared at her. They had seen the cafeteria. Twice. But as usual, Jack kept his mouth shut.

As they walked toward the cafeteria, Cassie leaned in and whispered to Jack. "It keeps us out of class, so why not?" She explained.

She was a devious one. Something Jack hadn't expected.

At last they made their last stop at the class room. Principle Jensen gently led Jack into the class room.

"Hello Mr. Barnett. This is Jack Miller. He's a brad new student as of today so I want you and your entire class to give him a nice warm welcome."

Mr. Barnett smiled at Jack and stood to address the class. "Alright kids, everyone say hi to Jack."

But the kids sat in silence. They don't say a word as they stared at him with wide eyes. They couldn't focus on anything but the scars that littered his face and his arms.

Saving Jack from embarrassment, Cassie piped up. "Mr. Barnett, can Jack sit by me?"

"That's an excellent idea Miss Guster. Jack go ahead and take a seat next to Miss Guster over there, she can explain to you the class rules." He turned and addressed the rest if the class. "Kids, what is the first and most important rule about my classroom?"

"Don't talk while the teacher is talking." They all said in unison.

Mr. Barnett nodded and smiled. "As long as you follow these simple rules, this year is going to be a blast!"

"Yeah," Cassie murmured in Jack's ear, "a blasted waste of my time," she said with amusement.

The school day ended uneventfully. It wasn't as awkward as Jack had thought it would be, save for the fact that everyone stared at him, but luckily Cassie was there to rescue him when things got too awkward.

He stood on the corner of the curb and waited with the hundred other kids for the bus ride home. Cassie stood by his side going on and on about life when Jack noticed a figure standing by a pine tree on the other side of the street. His heart jumped into his throat when he realized who that was. Sam Miller.

He stared at Jack with a cold hard stare and his lips tugged into a sinister smile that seemed to say "this isn't over."

"What is it?" Cassie asked as she propped on her tiptoes trying to get a better view. "Whatcha lookin at?"

The bus bounced up to the curb and Jack jumped. "N-nothing. Lets just go sit down." He pushed his way onto the bus before she could protest.

Cassie plopped in the seat beside him and looked at the boy who was standing across the street. "Do you know him?" She asked when she saw his frightened face. Jack nodded.

"His name is Sam."

"I know who he is..." She said and looked back at Jack. "He's my neighbor." Jack looked at her and then back at Sam. But he was gone.

"Sam Miller is your neighbor?" Jack asked in amazement. Cassie's nodded at him, clearly confused.

"He seems nice."

Jack didn't say anything for the rest of the ride home. The bus stopped at Evelyn's house and he stood up abruptly to leave. Cassie caught his arm.

"See you tomorrow?" Her big eyes pleaded.

Jack stared at her before wrenching his arm free. "Yeah, sure." He said as he walked off the bus.

Cassie knew Sam? She thought he was nice? Wait until she figured out what Sam has done to him. Wait until she finds out the truth about Jack Miller.


End file.
